Kirsi hadn't meant to be so far south when the volcano had erupted - not that anyone could've anticipated it, let alone her. She'd taken a brief departure from Song, veering south toward the Polar Sound. The slopes of the Sound were quite dangerous to travel, but she'd found a way down that looked less precarious. Cautiously she made her way toward the bottom, taking her time; the air here had an unusual scent, and she wondered if this place might be more fertile than the rest of the north currently was. Already she could see fat seals lounging near the rocky outcrops that jutted into the ocean, and she was beginning to concoct a plan that might allow her to take one of them down. Surely there was no possible way to drag her prey back up, but at least she could gorge herself in a nice feast. Everything seemed to be going according to plan until the world began to shake. Kirsi had been traveling by moonlight, using night as a cover to hide from any unsuspecting eyes as she made her descent down the steep rock cliffside - and due to where she was, she hadn't seen any signs of unrest in the distance. The night was still dark, with faint streams of moonlight coming down from above, but suddenly the world beneath her paws began to quake. Slowly at first, almost slowly enough that she thought her journey might go uninterrupted, but before long the intensity of the quaking grew stronger and she began to wonder just where she was supposed to go from here. Should she continue her descent, or turn back the way she'd came? In a split second decision she decided to head back up - at least she had a general idea of the path she'd taken, rather than struggle to find steady footing on the way down. The journey back up was far from a pleasant one; the shaking of the earth seemed to be constantly uprooting debris, and more than once she fought to narrowly avoid a rock colliding with her face. By the time she reached the top she was exhausted, though mostly injured; a few stray scrapes and cuts marred her forelimbs, and a branch had lightly nicked her cheek, but other than that she was fine. She cast her gaze toward the horizon, which should've been growing brighter with the rising sun by now.. but all she could see was a heavy smoke obscuring the sky, creeping closer and closer to the north with each breath she took. What was happening, she wondered - and if she was close enough to feel the effects, where was Song? She'd grown fond of her companion over these last few months, but only now did it become clear just how much she did care for him. The weight of worry and fear that settled in her stomach at the thought of what might happen to him was overwhelming. Despite her fatigue, it allowed her to push on, her tired paws carrying her toward the stone wall she'd last seen him near, eventually lifting her head to the sky and letting loose a call for him. Still the world quaked, though the tremors were smaller here, thankfully. "

They’d gone their own way for a while now, having taken all the time in the world to make it to Winterfell. Song embraced the solitude, the North was quiet and desolate. He was reminded everyday why he loved the northern reaches, be it the scenery or the impressive specimens that suffered to survive here. He’d use the time alone to think about where he’d been and where he wanted to go. He’d left his parents over a year ago, and with their ages he had no doubt they were passed on into the next realm. Song thought about his siblings, and wondered if he might ever see them again.

With the distance he was also quickly coming to realise how empty his life was without Kirsi. Ignatius had been missing for a long time, and Song’s hope at least, to find him was waning fast. His opinion on his beautiful cerulean companion was changing. He wasn’t sure he’d be comfortable seeing his previous alpha and his companion together again. Could Song really call Kirsi his though? She was independent and he would never attempt to cage her, but he was slowly coming to realize he didn’t much want a life without her.

That fact was made all the clearer when he felt the earth quake and saw the smoke obscure the sky which should have been taking on brightness. Bright blue eyes widened in fear as he gazed in the direction of eastern Boreas. The subtle fire glow that was eerily unfamiliar compared to the sun. Anxiety flared in his gut as he worried for Kirsi. He wasn’t sure where she’d gone, and he was nearly helpless to look for her. However the Destruction man made his way to the last place they’d been together and he was blessed with her call.

She was alive, and she was looking for him. Song made no hesitation in his movements as he loped towards her call. He raised his ivory head and sang back to her, hoping to relieve any doubts about his own status before she came into view. What he wanted to do was run up and take her into his arms and tell her he wasn’t going to let her out of his sight again. However inappropriate the action might be, he kept his head about him. Song approached at an even pace, the grin on his face making obvious the emotions within. He missed her, and he’d worried for her.

”Kirisi,” the relief evident in his voice as he came to a halt close by. He felt strongly for her, but he wouldn’t push her either. He wanted to tell her how much he missed having her beside him, to shout to the world that he wasn’t going to leave her side again. ”I’m glad you’re safe.” He settled on as he looked eastward again. ”I’d feel better farther away from this disaster though.”

The empty reaches of the north was the kind of terrain she, too, preferred; the solitude brought her clarity, the kind she worried she might never find after Ignatius had left her side. But with that clarity, more questions began to crop up, mainly regarding Song and how he fit into her future. Finding a way to convince Acere that they were a necessary benefit to Winterfell was seeming more and more necessary; she had yet to encounter any other groups in the north, and the more she thought about heading further away from these lands, the more she wanted to stay. Hearing Ignatius respond to her vaguely frantic call brought her great relief. He, too, was alive and well. Perhaps their decision to stay in the north had been their saving grace. How could either of them know just what could've happened to them if they'd started making their way south in the midst of.. whatever was happening? She wasn't a particularly superstitious woman, but she couldn't help but feel unsettled by the way the ash hung threateningly overhead in the distance, slowly moving to obscure most of the sky. When he finally approached, she returned the grin as easily as she could. Showing emotion wasn't really something she did often, but it was hard to ignore the relief that seemed to emanate from her. If anything had happened to him, she'd truly be alone - and it wasn't that she feared being alone. No, she knew she could survive just fine on her own, but that didn't mean that was what she wanted. "Song," she responded quickly, leaning forward just enough to touch her nose lightly into his. A sign that she was relieved to see him, and that his presence wasn't taken for granted by her. Slowly she pulled away, a faint smile remaining there on her lips. "I'm safe - but I will admit, tired," Kirsi admitted. She could feel the ache in her limbs beginning to grow stronger now that she felt as though she could relax, even if just for a moment, like a heavy weight dragging her down. "I agree, though. Perhaps it's time," she cast her gaze to the north, where Winterfell resided. Speaking with Heloise had only confirmed her suspicions that they were overloaded with wolves, but perhaps time had changed things.. and if not, perhaps they could prove that they were more valuable to Winterfell than other wolves could be.

The sound of his name on her lips brought the rest of the relief to him, and he felt his body lose the tense feeling he hadn’t quite acknowledged before he’d been returned to Kirsi’s presence. The proud Destruction leaned down so that his dark nose might touch her own in the quiet greeting. She seemed as relieved as he did, knowing that his traveling companion was no worse for wear after the eruption. Reluctantly he pulled back as she did, leaning back onto his ivory haunches as he admired the small smile he’d put on her lips.

She told him she was fine, if not tired, from the ordeal and he nodded softly. Song couldn’t deny that he felt similarly. The eruption had taken much energy to navigate safely, and the emotions that raced through him while Kirsi was away took their toll. How many times had he asked himself about her wellbeing while separated. ”We should rest tonight.” He offered in response to how tired they both felt. He couldn’t help but enjoy the thought of curling up in a small den beside her…

”But I agree, with the winter and the eruption…” He looked to the east and the uneasy glow it produced. ”Winterfell should be our next stop.”

Kirsi felt some of the tension drain from her body, though with the feeling of relaxation came the slow ebb of exhaustion that washed over her. Adrenaline had kept her going through the night and the morning that followed, but now that she was safe and sound, reunited with Song, it was hard to ignore the fatigue that was slowly threatening to take over. His company though brought a huge amount of mental relief, and she couldn't deny how relieved she was to see him. "I was worried for you," she admitted tentatively after a moment, her voice quiet as she gazed at him. Perhaps she wouldn't admit just how worried she'd been, but hopefully he understood. "Rest sounds fantastic," she agreed easily. After a moment, after pulling herself away from him, she began to slowly move away - north, away from the volcano and its destruction. After a good length of rest, she wanted to meet either Acere or one of his higher-ranking members at Winterfell's borders and plead their case for entry. Admittedly she didn't know everything about Song or his skillset, let alone what his life had been like before they'd met, but she knew he was skilled enough to survive on his own. Surely the both of them had innumerable skills they could offer the pack, if Acere decided there was room for them. "And resting with you sounds even better," she added after a moment of walking, turning to glance back his way with a coy smile.

Her soft words brought his icy blue gaze back towards Kirsi in pleasant surprise. His features softened as his chest swelled a bit. ”Your concern warms my heart,” he admitted with equal hesitation. ”But you shouldn’t worry yourself about me.” He didn’t want to cause her undue stress on his behalf. Knowing that she’d thought about him during their time apart nearly flushed his pale cheeks.

Only after a moment would Kirsi decide she was no longer satisfied with sitting in the ash tainted snow, they needed to find somewhere safe and the sooner they did the better off they would be. Song didn't hesitate to lift himself from the ground to pace slowly behind her, his gaze roving the landscape for any threat that might linger behind them. Time would need to be spent climbing up the gorge behind them, and he saw no foe give away their position. Song felt relatively comfortable they were alone in their search. He couldn’t relax yet, not until they were in a better position.

Her next words distracted him more fully, and as his attention was brought completely back to Kirsi. He didn’t miss her coy smile or the way she paused slightly to catch his reaction. He tried to downplay the way she caused his heart to flutter and breath to catch. She was a gorgeous woman, a fact that didn’t escape him for a moment spent with her. He was sure that he would have adored her had she not held her inherit beauty, her mind was sharp and he knew her talents were inumerable.

His heart beat fast, ”No matter the activity I always enjoy your presence, Kirsi.” Song offered back with an equally soft voice, he felt himself hesitate to become too over eager. He knew he cared deeply for the sky born woman, that much was clear to him after their separation. The Destruction man couldn’t begin to fathom how Ignatius had been able to leave her. ”It will be nice to finally hold you.” The next statement was made with caution as he confessed his long held desire. He aimed to catch her stormy blue gaze in his own to gauge her reaction.

Was it possible for her to not worry about him? Song had quickly warmed his way into her icy heart, in his own unique way - and while he would never replace the void Ignatius had carved there, perhaps that wasn't such a bad thing, now that his absence left a bitter taste in her mouth. Either way, she found herself laughing lightly at his insistence, slowly shaking her head. "You're right, next time I'll just forget all about you when we're apart," she teased lightly. As if. Her actions made it clear that she was being facetious, as she slowed momentarily to reach out to him, her nose grazing his shoulder lightly before she turned to lope back ahead of him. Perhaps showing just how much she'd missed him, and worried about him, wasn't wise. She wasn't one known for showing her feelings, at least her true ones.. but in a way Song felt like a fresh start, and the fact that he had no ties to her old life, save for his time spent in Fyri, made her somehow feel less guarded around him. Maybe being vulnerable, in this particular scenario, wasn't such a bad thing. Regardless of how she felt about Song, there was something undoubtedly comforting about a more intimate kind of companionship, especially in the dead of winter. Her time apart from Song had only made her crave that sort of intimacy that much more. "And it'll be nice to finally be held by you," she called back at him, that same playful smile returning to her lips. "Once we find somewhere warm to settle down for day," Kirsi added thoughtfully. Tonight was about resting, but perhaps tomorrow it was time to head to Winterfell and let their rest of their futures take flight.

He managed to coax a giggle out of her, and he smiled widely in return as she teased him lightly. Kirsi offered him a quick nuzzle as an apology and he aimed a similar gesture behind her ears before she took her place again a few steps ahead of him. With his long gait he could have easily kept up with her, but she seemed to enjoy their position. Almost as though he was ‘chasing’ her.

Song’s heart beat heavily in his chest at her touch, he felt more alive around her, and knew he wouldn’t want to return to his solitude. After being without her for a time he was more convinced about how much he wanted her. He couldn’t in good conscience push her though, losing Ignatius had been difficult and he couldn’t help to think more so for her.

Her return statement only caused his smile to grow, he almost tripped he was so distracted. His heart raced and his stomach exploded with butterflies as he tried to keep himself calm. Song was very well attached to Kirsi now, and knowing, or at least hearing her hint at a more intimate experience had adrenaline pumping through his veins. Tonight was about resting themselves though, and if all he got was to hold her tightly against his chest the gold marked Destruction would be more than content.

The ivory beast loped ahead so that his shoulder was even with her own as they walked through the ash tainted snow. Though it was hard to peel his eyes from her beautiful form he scanned the area for their destination. ”I don’t think warm is an option.” He chuckled, trying to subdue his excitement. ”If we can find a smaller cave or overhang.. I promise I’ll make it warm.” He offered softly as he looked around, promising his immense body heat to keep the chill from her.