[Gaven]

“Ir abelas.”

Gaven pressed his hand on stony bark, his fingers tracing the rough texture, chill against his palm. When he left for Inaria he took something from here. The tree waited impatiently for his return, haunting him like the many other things that trailed in his path. The tree would never betray the things he had stolen to his Queen or Gemini, which made it different from his other victims, and he owed it something for that. The long-dead tree did not respond to his apology, words that many living things had not managed to wretch from the Starreaver, but he felt at ease.

How fun it had been lugging around a decorated rock!  It was high time to free his shoulders of guilt and the literal weight of a sizable stone. A lesson learned in planning his departures with care.

The entrance to the library was piled with snow, built up and toppled into the small shelter. In other libraries this would be considered a disastrous event but Gaven supposed moisture did no damage to history recorded in stone. He slid through the carved opening and quickly stuffed the stone slab back in its place. The inside of the library was black as ever, but his eyes quickly adjusted. He took a moment to consider the rest of the untouched stones before disregarding them with a shrug. Today wouldn’t be wasted on reading. The new camp he made was close to the library he could work through the tablets in his down time.

After visiting the library he headed northward with trouble brewing in his brain. There was one thing everyone needed to know about Gaven: five seconds by himself resulted in immediate, crushing loneliness from which he was desperate to escape. He needed someone to talk to, to bother. He lived his entire life before in his close-knit clan where they did everything together and shared everything. He wasn’t used to solitude. His step quickened when he found a spot where the snow had been crushed down from many little wolf paws walking back and forth on it. It probably went to the castle. He broke into a run when the castle was close enough to hit with an arrow, careful not to trip on slick spots on the path.

He could have snuck into the castle, sticking to the shadows and hoping not to get caught until he could find a broken spot to creep through. That would have been safer. The walls were sheer and slick with ice, but he took a running start at a low one, driving one of his older blades into gaps in the stone to get a grip, and propelled himself upward. It was a low wall, but high enough to give him a view of the courtyard and the paths the wolves took most frequently. The roof wore a thick blanket of untouched snow and he scooped up a handful and packed it into a ball. He snatched up more snow, forming it into many fist size balls, until the roof was almost cleared of excess and he had a pile of ammo sitting out in front of him. The wolves of Gemini were going to learn a thing or two about siege warfare today.

The Starreaver crouched on the roof, waiting for someone to pelt with snow (sans Jonas; he was terrified of that cat), and if they shouted at him they were going to get it twice as bad

[Ashe]

There had been but a little time for Ashe to investigate her new home before the first waves of blanketing white settled across the territory. Familiar with snow from her old home, Ashe did not let it keep her in her newfound den.  She had been systematically exploring the ruins she came across.  She had widened her ventures into the Highlands, and today she had come to the dilapidated castle.  As intrigued as ever by the stones, she had been wandering around the outer walls when she discovered that many cracks were home to wintering mice.  Stones had fallen to overhang small patches of resilient grasses, and a few of the rodents sat just aside the ledge, munching away on a frozen seed.  Ashe pounced, and was rewarded a crunchy mouse snack.  Despite what Echo said about them hardly being a meal, she enjoyed them. 

So distracting was the temptation of her pick of tasty morsels, Ashe was not aware she was not alone.  She wove her way in between stones, sniffing and snuffling for hidden trails to mouse dens.  When she caught sight of movement beneath the snow, she halted.  Still as stone, she waited, listening.  Then, when it appeared her target was in range, she jumped, plunging herself face first into the snow.  She came up empty, dusted in white from her muzzle to her breast.  She snorted to get the snow out of her nostrils with an airy sneeze.  Enjoying a good shake was next on the list, and her large, expressive ears flopped against her head with loud slaps.  The tremor rippled down her back, and whipped out her tail before she regained her composure.  The setback didn't trouble Ashe, and she was more than happy to continue her escapades, unaware of the lofty threat.

[Gaven]

Gaven didn’t recognize his first victim; a tawny colored she-wolf poking around the snow for a bite to eat. He rolled the bit of snow he carried in his hand and considered physics for a moment as he watched her pick her way around the castle grounds. It was very, very tempting to get her in the arse when she went bottom-up but she popped back quickly. He supposed no matter where he hit her she would squeal with shock, but he would be nice this time and aim somewhere inoffensive; her shoulder would do nicely, wolves could always take a square hit there. Gemini’s Lorekeeper needed to make a good first impression after all.

He wound up his arm and took an arcing shot at her with the snowball. He wasn’t too concerned if he hit her perfectly or not, though he might let out a satisfied whoop if he did. He was already winding up to hit her with another and had no intention of stopping until she pinpointed his location. When she did finally find him (assuming she didn’t book it for the lowlands) he would deign to introduce himself in the worst way possible.

“Oh! I’m sorry!” Gaven called down in a voice dripping with amused insecurity. “Your body is getting in the way of my snow! Do you think you could move a bit? Oh, nope! Definitely the wrong way! Sorry, love! It’s almost like this snow is magnetized to you, how fortunate, a blessing from the gods I’m sure!”

[Ashe]

"You’re wishin’ too much, baby. You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be." - Eat, Pray, Love

 

It came out of nowhere. One moment she was busying herself with trying to catch herself a snack, the next something cold and wet smacked into her shoulder.  The snowball broke apart on impact, showing her face with clumps of slush.  Ashe yelped, shying away from the spot where she had been hit.  The alien noise that accompanied the strike sent her bolting for cover. No sooner than she had begun to move, a second projectile arced in her direction.  This one missed, landing wide, but sending her skidding in the other direction. The little doe tucked her tail and ran, only to be bombarded further.  She streaked across the open ground as fast as her legs would carry her, but a deep drift slowed her progress.  She could hear something on the wind, a voice she had never heard before, and she was too frightened to really understand.  Scrambling across the ground, she dove for a slightly toppled section of wall that leaned against itself, forming a small lean-to. Ashe cowered in the tiny space, her sides heaving and sending plumes of misted breath out of the opening.  She hadn't been underneath anything, so it wasn't like when snow fell from tree branches.  It also wasn't windy enough to explain the large amount that had hit her.  It wasn't hail, either.  There was nothing falling from the sky that could even be confused with natural weather.  Peering out into the world without actually leaving her hiding space, she confirmed her thoughts on the weather.  Whatever had flung the snow was probably still out there.  She huddled in the small opening, trembling as Anxiety went though the list of all the scary things she knew of.  Nothing had the ability to hit her with snow. She had been to this castle before, and hadn't encountered anything unusual.  Had she angered the spirits around here?  The little doe began muttering a warding under her breath, hoping they wouldn't linger. She was too terrified to be curious, and didn't dare try and sneak a look at whatever was out there.  Whimpering, she hid, hoping that whatever it was wouldn't find her.  Unfortunately, he had a perfect vantage point to see exactly where she'd run to.

[Gaven]

Gaven’s laughter pealed across the yard as the small wolf’s initial panic sent her into a scrambling frenzy for cover. Before she slid behind cover he was already gripped with fits of giggling that prevented him from grabbing another snowball. There was a pang of guilt, not only for her complete helplessness to his assault, but the fact that he almost enjoyed such an easy battle. Snowball fights with his oldest younger sister almost always descended into a brutal headshot-exclusive battle that went on long enough that their father would have to nervously interject himself in the middle of their feud before one of them seriously hurt the other. Here he needed to remind himself that he should retain his sense of mercy, especially considering his target hadn’t come out of hiding since she had found her shelter. He could probably lob some snow over the wall and hit her, but he knew he shouldn’t, and he would listen to that little shoulder angel. Just this once.

“Aww! It’s okay! You can come out,” Gaven called down to the little wolf. “I don’t think I even hurt you. I know I didn’t put any rocks in them…or pee on them. Because I’m nice.”

He would resist the temptation to nail her in the face if she gathered the bravery to peek out. Because he was so nice of course.

“What’re you doing around here anyway?” Gaven asked, trying to bait her into conversation with him. People who were talking to you were concentrating on words, not fighting, and he depended on that to calm her down. “I thought only the royals came sniffing around the castle…and me, I guess, but I obviously know what I’m doing here. You’re not one of Serrate’s little ones, are you?”

[Ashe]

"You’re wishin’ too much, baby. You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be." - Eat, Pray, Love

Ashe cowered, panting in the dank chill of her hiding place.  Her terrified mind and heart were racing, and she hadn't quite caught her breath.  So far Reason had been unable to properly identify the phenomenon that had assaulted her.  Reason, and a bit of curiosity, thought that perhaps she should get a better look.  She crept towards the entrance to her hole, but right as she was about to peer around the stone, a voice startled her and she instinctively leaped backward, bonking her head on the low ceiling in the process. "Aww! It’s okay! You can come out! I don’t think I even hurt you. I know I didn’t put any rocks in them…or pee on them. Because I’m nice." What? What -whatwhat?!  Ashe now understood the words, but it didn't click together well in her head.  Another wolf was throwing snow at her?!  How hadn't she realized someone was close enough to launch snow? Were they up high?  She had run so far!  How had they almost hit her?!  Her head became a buzz with unanswered questions, and she was more angry than scared now.  Someone had come up and yanked her tail!  Why on earth would they torment her like this?  She fumed for a few seconds, torn between wanting to berate this stranger and the very real Anxiety of "they could probably kill you".  She decided that what she needed to do was get a better look.  Once again she approached the mouth of the cave... “What’re you doing around here anyway? I thought only the royals came sniffing around the castle…and me, I guess, but I obviously know what I’m doing here. You’re not one of Serrate’s little ones, are you?”" Ashe hadn't seen any royals around during her visits, but did that mean they were here often?  She hadn't really... interacted much over the winter, and now, with spring approaching, she supposed she probably should.  But meeting the leaders of this pack, the royals, had never really been a part of her plan.  Was this a royal?  She didn't think so.  The "and me, I guess" certainly didn't ring with that tone... "No, I'm-" She began, stepping out to look up at Gaven. Then she immediately let out a yelp and dove back into the hole.  What she had glimpsed was a man.  What was Man doing here?!  They probably built this place.. Yeah, but they weren't supposed to be living in it!  Ashe had never encountered man before, but the tales from travelers who had visited her packs warned them all that they were a predator to be feared.  As if Ashe needed any more encouragement.