always

oh your hands can heal, your hands can bruise. I don't have a choice but I'd still choose you.

A year; a full year had passed since Alcide had held MoonGlow in his embrace last. The realization came to him that morning as the first flakes of snow floated down from the sky, landing softly on his coal hued nose and melting quickly due to the warmth of his breath. It had been after the avalanche. She had descended to the base of the mountain as if she had never left. That night they had rested together in their den, as content as if she had never left. And the next morning, she was gone, leaving only the wisps of her scent behind. Since then, he had not seen or smelt her. But the aching in his chest was a daily and constant reminder that she was still out there somewhere; perhaps she was on some journey to restore her faith in herself as a shamaness.

Upon his forepaws Alcide rested his head, watching the flakes of snow begin to accumulate on the ground. As midday approached and the sun beat down directly on the ground, patches of the blanket of white faded away to reveal the dead grass beneath. But in any location where the trees offered it shade, the snow remained. A soft sigh escaped his muzzle and his warm breath clouded the cool air before him. His ears pressed forward as he listened to the mountain as she serenaded him. Slowly, he allowed his eyes to half close and himself to become lulled into a quiet peace. But truly, he knew no peace without the other half of his soul lying by his side.

He was unsure of just how long he had rested like this when a song of a different tune rang out across the mountain, summoning him to Spirane’s borders. But the sun had shifted from its highest point in the sky, an indication that they were into the hours of the afternoon. Without wasting much time, Alcide rose to his paws and stretched before shaking the sleep from his pelt. He quickly left his perch behind and descended the sloping terrain of the mountain to make his way to the source of the call. She had not been waiting long when the brute emerged from the foliage and approached with his tail curled over his back in a show of dominance.

Both ears stood at attention, albeit the left one flopped slightly where it was torn near its peak. His dark brown eyes quickly assessed her as he approached; halting when just a few feet separated them. The border between Spirane and the rest of Moladion rested between them. “Good afternoon,” he said, deep tenor vocals slightly rough from lack of use that day. “I am Alcide, ruler of the mountains of Spirane,” it was a simple statement, and one he did not frequently make. He was glad to protect his mate’s throne for her while she was away, but it was not something he proclaimed on a usual basis. He was a bit more humble about it than all that. Still, he continued, “What is your name, and for what reason do you call upon these borders today?” His voice softened with each word spoken, and the final inquiry was clearly one of friendly intent. He watched her, curious, for strangers did not frequently come calling at Spirane’s boundaries.

alcide | sixteen | moonglow | polaris of spirane
sleekwing, swallowbane, orca, daenerys, ceal, taliesin | ♥